Organizers know they will have to work hard to beat the success of the 2019 Nuts 'n Bolts sale at Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church. "Last year we made as much as we ever made," organizer Dan Henry said of the event that drew 18 vendors.

There won't be any changes in the way members of Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church run its annual collection point for Operation Christmas Child. And that's a good thing, said congregation member and organizer Dan Henry. "It's a very worthwhile program. It brings joy and smiles to the children's faces and it helps spread the gospel," he said.

There are still a couple of tables available for Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church's annual sale craft sale. The church women do not charge a table rental fee, organizer Shirley Miller said. Crafters have to contribute one item each for door prizes which are given out every half hour.

Organizers will be making more mashed potatoes when they prepare for Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church's 12th annual turkey supper. "Last year we ran out of mashed potatoes," Shirley Miller said. It's been a while since the church's Presbyterian Women ran out of food for the meal. That happened at the first one, back in 2008. That year, the women did not know how successful the meal would be and expected about 200 people to show up.

The traditional opening ceremony of the annual Scottish Festival will honor a veteran from the Bart community. This year's observance will be in the upper cemetery at Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church. That's where Private William A. Nichols is buried. Maybe.

​ Volunteers from Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church are collecting donations for the congregation's annual yard sale. "We're accepting items from church members as well as community members," organizer Dan Henry said last week.

It's not a yard sale because it will be indoors. Nor will it feature a selection of women's clothes, kids toys, and housewares. The third annual Nuts 'n Bolts sale at Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church will offer items of interest primarily to men, organizer Dan Henry said last week. The sale will feature hunting and fishing gear, handmade knives, building supplies and tools, gardening and landscaping items, and new and used equipment. Firearms will not be sold.

Later this month, members of Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church will begin collecting gift boxes to be sent overseas as part of Operation Christmas Child. The program, an outreach of the Rev. Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse, gives the boxes to children in impoverished communities throughout the world.

As the weather cools, it's time for comfort food. That's one reason the women of Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church schedule their annual turkey dinner for the second Saturday in October. "We just ask that people come and don't count calories," said organizer Shirley Miller. Miller has been helping coordinate the dinner since its inception seven years ago. Those first years were stressful, she recalled.

They aren't ready to give up traditional programs. But members of Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church have come to realize that many families can't fit some of these events into their busy schedules. "We have realized that changes in demographics and society mean we have to be more open to alternatives," congregation member Barry Girvin said.

​ Members of the women's group of Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church are getting ready for their third annual clothing giveaway. "We do it right before school starts so people can get the clothes they will need for the coming year," said member Nancy Harnish.

For years, members of the Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church have sold items at a yard sale to fund mission trips. Later this month, congregation members are inviting neighbors to participate. "This is the first time we've opened it to vendors," said organizer Boni Henry.

Trips can be as stress-free and enjoyable as an afternoon cup of tea with friends. John Day and Marian Yoder will share tips on how to travel to Europe, or closer to home, in a friendly and easy manner. Day and his late wife and Yoder and her husband have been overseas nearly 40 times. "When we travel, we have so much fun," Day said. From that experience, they have put together a program to help others travel.

In an earlier life, the books guided the church's congregation as members sang familiar hymns. Now they've earned a second life as decorations for the coming Christmas season. For the past several months, volunteers have been folding old hymnals, adding doll heads and hair, and turning the books into angels.

A festival planned for early next month will highlight the Scottish heritage of the Southern End and raise money to help preserve a crumbling piece of its history. The Covenanter Scottish Festival will include Celtic music, games for kids, food, and a closing ceremony to decorate a Revolutionary War veteran's grave. Music will be performed throughout the day.

The games came first. Then organizers decided to throw in a birthday party. That's not how most parties are planned, but it is the way organizers went about setting up Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church's first community game night. They decided to host the event on August 7 and began to gather games and sports equipment. Then they realized they were holding the event on the anniversary of the congregation's founding.

Members of Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church are collecting new and gently-used clothing for distribution next month. "We are asking people to bring clean, useable clothing to the church [1199 Valley Rd.]," organizer Shirley Miller said recently. Donations may be dropped off in the church lobby any time.

Bart Township native Hazel Grace Woerth is celebrating her 105th birthday today. Mrs. Woerth, was born on her parents' farm on Georgetown Rd. on June 26, 1909. She attended public schools, graduating from Bart Township High School after she finished the 11th grade. In a 2009 interview, she said she balanced her education with chores on the farm. "I loved to hunt the eggs in the hen house," she said in an interview before her 100th birthday. "The important thing was not to break them." After she married, she and her husband, the late George K. Woerth, lived on his home farm where she continued to help with the chores. "I helped milk the cows. they put a halter on them so they wouldn't kick me," she said.

Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church is holding two fundraisers to benefit their Mission Team's upcoming trip to Peru. The church is seeking donations for its annual yard sale which will be held Saturday, April 26, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clothing, toys, games, sporting goods, live plants, household items, and collectibles will available for sale inside the church building.The tax deductible donations can be dropped off at the church.The youth group will be providing breakfast and lunch items. Middle Octorara is holding an all-you-can-eat Chicken Waffle Dinner Saturday, May 17 from 4-7 p.m. Takeouts will be available.

An assortment of teas and a guest speaker are two of the attractions at the annual Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church's Lenten tea. It's a worthwhile gathering, organizer Faye Mimm said last week. "I thought it was real nice," she said of last year's event. "I brought a good friend and we had a nice time. There was good food and lots of good conversation." Women across the region are invited to come and to bring their friends, organizer Kristine Hileman said last week. "It's for all the ladies in the community," she said. The church started the event in 2001.

Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church is once again participating in Operation Christmas Child. The church is the only dropoff location in the area for the project which involves stuffing shoeboxes full of goodies for less fortunate children. Operation Christmas Child is a project started by the Rev. Franklin Graham under the auspices of the Samaritan's Purse charity.

Organizers of the annual Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church's Christmas bazaar are hoping for cold weather on Saturday, November 2. That will make what they are calling a soup spectacular more attractive.

Members of the Middle Octorara Presbyterian Women are preparing for one of their major fundraisers of the year. The church women will be serving their annual turkey supper on Saturday, October 12. They started the fundraiser six years ago and it now draws more than 300 people a year, said organizer Shirley Miller. The meal includes turkey breast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, peas, roll and butter, pepper cabbage, and cranberry sauce. There will be a selection of pies for dessert; coffee, tea, or water will be available.